Woodchester Park
Woodchester Park is situated in a beautiful secluded wooded valley in the grounds of the unfinished Victorian Woodchester Mansion (not owned by the national Trust).
The tranquil wooded valley contains a 'lost landscape' with remains of an 18th- and 19th-century landscape park with a chain of five lakes. Park Mill Pond is the last of these lakes and features a man-made island that is now a heronry. Large carp can also be seen in the waters.
Secreted away in the surrounding woodland, you'll find an old Boat House, built in the early 19th century. It was restored in 1998 and bats now roost in the roof space, emerging at dusk to hunt over the lake. The wood also hides a disused quarry, which was in use until the early 1900s and provided stone for the Woodchester Estate.
The restoration of this varied landscape is an ongoing project. There are way-marked trails through the park, some of which are steep in places as the property covers part of the valley sides. There is a marked play trail with equipment made from natural products.
